ELECTRICAL

1994 Dodge Ram • 52,000 miles

When using the tilt steering wheel in the down position the electric windows and the blower fan turn off. Now I have to have the ignition key in the acess position for these things to work. As soon as the ignition key is turned past that point, to the start position, the blower and the windows quit working. It is very hot here in Phoenix, so I would appreciate any help.

The common cause is burned contacts in the ignition switch. You'll also find the heat has migrated out to two terminals that will be overheated and usually that part of the connector will be melted. Moving the steering wheel puts stress on those terminals until they make a bad connection.

The fix is to replace the switch, cut the two terminals from the connector, cut off the four inches of hardened wire because solder won't adhere well to that part, then splice in four new inches of wire, seal those joints with heat-shrink tubing, install two new crimp-type connectors but also solder them, then plug those connectors in individually.

To splice the four inches of wire, slide the strands together, end-to-end, don't twist them. Push any sharp points down flat. Those ends of the strands can poke through the heat-shrink tubing. Never use electrical tape to seal the splices. That will unravel into a gooey mess on a hot day.